Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though this can be costly. Others argue that governments should replace them with new, modern buildings.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The issue of whether old buildings such as town halls should be restored or governments should replace them with new modern buildings has been widely debated. Some people believe that old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though it can be costly, while others argue that governments should replace them with new, modern buildings. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I believe that replacing them with new modern buildings is more appropriate.

On the one hand, there are several reason why people support that old buildings should be restores, even though it is costly. Firstly, old buildings such as town halls and art galleries represents the history of the town. This means that it keeps people connected with their memories and also gives chance to future generations to know more about the history and attracts more tourists. For instance, individuals nowadays are more interested to explore old buildings and the history behind it. As a result, this will significantly increase the popularity of the town.

On the other hand, many people believe that governments should replace these old buildings with new, modern buildings. It is undeniable, as population increases, there will be a growing demand of infrastructure system such as shopping mall complex, advanced medical healthcare system and educational institutions. The governments have the authority and power to replace old buildings with new infrastructure. This means that they can raise awareness by showing the benefits of building modern infrastructure. For example, making shopping complex will not only create new employment but also boosts overall national development. Therefore, I believe that replacing old buildings with new buildings is more beneficial than restoring them.

To conclude, although restoring old buildings has some benefits, I personally believe that the advantages of replacing them with new, modern building outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the historical value of buildings versus the need for modern infrastructure. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for modern buildings relies on general statements about 'national development' without specific examples of how replacing a town hall specifically facilitates this. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis could be improved to reach higher bands by providing more nuanced reasoning rather than relying on broad assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand,' 'Firstly,' and 'To conclude,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'This means that.' The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the link between the topic sentences and the supporting evidence could be smoother in places. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'infrastructure,' 'national development,' and 'restored.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'support that old buildings should be restores' (should be 'restored') and 'growing demand of infrastructure' (should be 'demand for'). To improve, the student should aim for more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'old buildings... represents' (should be 'represent') and 'making shopping complex' (should be 'building a shopping complex'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and verb forms, such as 'gives chance' (should be 'gives a chance'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score in this criterion.

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